Mrs Potter's Call
by Katie Kennedy1
Summary: Mrs. Potter calls James at home one day, only to find him much busier than she expected. Fluff! Pre-Harry days. These characters and their world are JKR's, not mine! Marauders and Lily fic.


The phone rang in the middle of Sirius's third lap around the house. James answered it absentmindedly, and the first thing Mrs. Potter heard was "C'mon, Padfoot, twenty more seconds!"

"James?" She asked, sitting up in her chair as if that would help her see what her son was up to now. "Is this a bad time?"

"Hi, Mum," James said distractedly. "No, hold on, it's just- five seconds, Padfoot- gimme a minute-"

Mrs. Potter waited with a bemused smile while there was muffled cheering on the other end and James's voice grumbling low. The phone was jostled and Sirius spoke into the phone.

"Padfoot is officially faster than Prongs!!" He howled into the phone, laughing.

"Hello, Sirius," Mrs. Potter said warmly. "Are those your pets?"

Something on the other end- _she doesn't know_ , James whispered furiously- and then her son was back.

"Just so you know, Mum, he's got it wrong," James said. He paused. "So what's up?"

"Clearly not as much as you have going on," Mrs. Potter laughed. "How are you? How's Lily?"

James sounded quieter now; he must have gone inside. Sirius and somebody else were in the background talking loudly, but they sounded far away. "Lily's at her sister's wedding," James said. "It's a bit tense, they don't really speak- her sister's a Muggle, Mum."

"Right, I remember." Mrs. Potter nodded, forgetting that James couldn't see her. She sighed. "Well, I do hope that she's okay, with her family, it can be tough. Why aren't you with her?"

James paused. "She wouldn't let me," he admitted finally, a bitter note in his voice. "She says I'm too _magical_ for them."

"That's all right, dear," Mrs. Potter was saying, a little confused (she didn't knke how anyone could be _too magical,_ but that was Muggles for you), but there was suddenly a lot of noise on the other side.

"Hang on, Mum," James said hastily. "Lily's back, I think something's- Lily, honey, what's wrong?"

"Is everything okay?" Mrs. Potter said worriedly, but James didn't hear her. His voice sounded rough."Sirius, did she say-"

"Nothing, mate," Mrs. Potter just barely made out on the other end. "I asked her how the wedding was, that's all."

"You idiot!" James said furiously. Then, over sputtering in the background "Sorry, Mum, not you-"

"I know, dear," Mrs. Potter sighed."What's-"

"Talk to Sirius, Mum," James said hurriedly, and then he was gone.

"Hi, Mrs. Potter," Sirius said cheerfully. "Some very exciting things going on here today. Never dull with these two, is it?"

"It never was," Mrs. Potter agreed, relieved to be having a conversation she could understand. "Sirius, dear, how are you?"

"Slightly concerned, Mrs. Potter," Sirius whispered. "I'm going to go eavesdrop."

"Don't you think you ought to leave them to it, hon?" Mrs. Potter prodded, but to no avail.

"Nah," Sirius whispered. "I'm their best mate, I should know, shouldn't I? And James might not tell me the whole story, the prat."

"Perhaps it's private." Mrs. Potter said shrewedly.

"Oh," Sirius said sadly, having ignored her last comment. "Lily says her sister told her they weren't sisters anymore."

"Goodness," Mrs. Potter fretted, her worries about invading their privacy forgotten. "What should I do?"

"They fought over Hogwarts!" Sirius told her. "Oh, I knew it, I knew Petunia was jealous, Lily'sscrewed now..."

"They can make it right, I'm sure, they're sisters," murmured Mrs. Potter, concern lacing her voice.

"Not all families are like that," Sirius muttered into the phone, and Mrs. Potter felt a pang.

"I'm sorry," she said, but was one again interrupted.

"Shit- they're coming out-" Sirius breathed, and a loud thump followed his words.

"Language," Mrs. Potter reminded him.

"Sorry, Mrs. Potter," Sirius complied. She could hear him smiling. "Hold on a moment- well, mate?"

There was a quiet voice on the other end, and then Sirius was saying, "Bye, Mrs. Potter, here's James now..."

"Lovely to talk to you, dear," Mrs. Potter said quickly. "Come see me anytime."

"Hi Mum," James followed her sentence immediately. "I'll tell Sirius he's welcome. Listen, though, I've got to go."

"Well, all right, James," Mrs. Potter said. "This has been a very _stimulating_ conversation. I hope everything turns out okay."

James sighed. "We have some serious cheering up to do," he admitted. "But we will be. Take care, Mum, I'll call soon."

"Bye, hon," Mrs. Potter said. "Love you."

But she was cut off. That son of hers had too much going on for him for his own good.


End file.
